Although Yang Fan was carrying a famous brand of outdoor snow tent, to be honest, this journey was quite difficult. It's not as pleasant as traveling to Xuexiang.
He is like this, let alone those who are soldiers.
It's lucky not to freeze to death. Fortunately, the master's treatment is good and the protection is strong. If those soldiers in Ming's camps and guards didn't freeze to death, it would be because of God's eyes.
These soldiers all wore thick cotton pants that they took off and placed on the ground so that they could stand on their own. The hem of the large cotton-padded jacket on top is stuffed into the trousers, and then tightened with a belt. This is absolutely the same as a one-piece, no gaps, windproof and snowproof.
On his feet were felt boots that reached to his knees and were one and a half centimeters thick. The soles are made of recycled rubber soles made from scraps left over from old tires after retreading.
Very strong and wear-resistant. Wearing these shoes, even if you go to Moscow and come back, they won't break down.
The felt boots were filled with soft and rotten urala grass, which was very effective in keeping warm. There is also an elastic band at the boot opening, which can be closed. Even if you step into waist-deep snow, snow powder will not pour into the boots from the boot opening. Otherwise, you won’t be able to walk very far, and your boots will get wet, and your toes will freeze off.
Soldiers also wear old-fashioned military coats with hoods. This kind of military coat is all grass green and has an artificial fur collar. Domestic military uniform factories have huge backlogs. The price is very cheap, basically a big sale.
Yang Fan specifically requested that one be to add a layer of snow camouflage on the outside. Another is to add a hood. It can be tightened with a rope like the hood of a down jacket. Prevent drafts. Elastic bands are also added to the collar and cuffs to prevent snow from filling in.
Fortunately, Yang Fan had wrapped up all the 500,000 military coats in the warehouse of this quilt factory, otherwise the factory director might not be willing to serve them. After such modification, it is very suitable for the Northeast region of this era.
The officers and soldiers would spread the single-person felt rolled up on the ground when they were traveling, and then sleep on the felt blanket. Or get into a sleeping bag and put a military coat on top. Because there is also a velvet hood in the hood. So you won't get frostbite, but the feeling will definitely not be pleasant.
Fortunately, we are traveling on skis, so we can pull a sledge and carry a lot of supplies, otherwise many people will definitely be exhausted.
Yang Fan sat in the carriage of the sledge, stroking his chin and thinking. This still doesn't work. He took it for granted. He had not anticipated the difficulty of transportation in the wilderness.
It is winter now, and heavy snow can accumulate to a depth of 2-4 meters in a winter. Mudanjiang area generally gets snow all winter, and it can accumulate to about four meters. At this time, the road is very easy to be buried in snow, making it difficult to find the road.
There are often cars and horses moving around, so the snow is compacted and turns into a hard shell similar to ice. However, it is slippery and slippery, and the fall can make you doubt your life. Coupled with the strong wind, taking three steps was blown back two steps. It’s really a difficult road to travel, it’s no worse than the Shu Road.
It's not much better in the spring. Traffic is at its worst in early spring. When the sun shines at noon, the ice and snow melt, the road turns into a mud puddle, and the rutted ditches are filled with water. The mud can trap wheels, and it is difficult for livestock and carriages to walk in waist-deep mud.
It gets cold as soon as the sun goes down. The mud pit freezes again and can seal the wheels in the frozen soil. Even if one wears rubber boots, he cannot bear the torture of civilization - thawing - mud pit - freezing again. Coming here once a day drives people crazy.
At this time, the plains in the Northeast were covered with meadows, wetlands and swamps everywhere. Once you fall in, you're done. Don’t talk about the Northeast hinterland. The Liaoxi Corridor, which is a narrow stretch of land from Shanhaiguan to Jinzhou, was only opened after the Sui Dynasty.
It's because this place has historically been a muddy land. Later, starting from the Northern Wei Dynasty, ditches were dug here to drain the swamp water into the sea. Only when the land was dry could roads be built.
Only in the Tang Dynasty could we take this shortcut to the Northeast and build Yuguan, also known as Shanhaiguan.
During the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, people used the Lulong Road to go to the Northeast. That is, take the Chengde road. When Cao Cao conquered Wuhuan, he walked along Lulong Road. After a great victory, it happened to be winter already, and the Liaoxi corridor was frozen, so Cao Cao could take a shortcut back from here.
Yang Fan looked at the spectacle of rime outside the window and knew in his heart that even though it looked easy to walk here now, it was because the ground was frozen in winter. The ice and snow melted in the beginning of spring, and the ground was muddy, which could drive the transportation team crazy.
There are also heavy rains and floods in summer. The Nen River, Mudan River, and Songhua River often overflow, and then floods rage. The more Yang Fan thought about it, the more worried he became. If he wanted to control this wild land without roads and other infrastructure, he had to find another way. It's not possible to rely on current technology.
Yang Fan picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and entered a group. This group is called the steam truck group. It was a group established by Yang Fan, Er Lengzi, and the directors of Mao Zi's automobile factory, engine factory and other supporting factories.
These companies that were already bankrupt were saved by Yang Fan's orders. These factory directors were almost crazy with excitement. In particular, a factory in Tula that produced automobile steam engines also agreed to Yang Fan's acquisition. The Maozi government quickly approved it.
Because these are obsolete enterprises and equipment, they will not control them. Moreover, Yang Fan's orders in the Horn of Africa provide unemployed workers in Siberia with the opportunity to find new jobs.
"Is there any particularly powerful off-road vehicle that can be modified to be powered by a steam engine? Is it possible to continue to develop new steam engines for automobiles and small ships? Is it possible to develop a more powerful steam engine?" Yang Fan asked directly three times.
Originally, Yang Fan fully acquired all the upstream and downstream factories that produced the Soviet Nami-012 series of heavy-duty trucks, the solution to the Soviet Union's fuel shortage. A steam power research institute was even established in Moscow. Responsible for the development of new steam engines.
The nami-012 series trucks have certain off-road capabilities, but it is still difficult to move in mud pits and under two to three meters of snow. These cars will be very useful south of the Great Wall and in the Western Regions, but they are really not enough to see in Siberia.
Yang Fan made up his mind that he needed an all-terrain vehicle to travel in places with no roads in Siberia. Only by solving the transportation problem can we truly occupy and control the vast Siberia.
Yang Fan thought that it would be great if he could find an old-fashioned all-terrain off-road truck in Qiansu's product library and replace it with a 012 series steam engine.
This can perfectly solve the traffic problem in Siberia. This kind of car needs huge wheels. Only large-diameter wheels can increase the ground clearance of the vehicle chassis. Increase entry and departure angles. Only then can we truly run like flying in the mud pits and snow nests of Siberia.
